Date:         Tue, 11 Oct 2005 08:41:21 -0500
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject:      Re: Printing on Aluminum Sheet - NVC
Comments: To: Jeffrey Schwaia <jeff@VANAGONPARTS.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CAEOIPKOOCKNBBDDDMBPKEFCHKAA.jeff@vanagonparts.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

You have several choices, depending on how you want it to look and the
quantity you're dealing with.

A competent sign shop can print out a full-clor layout onto a heavy
duty paper and laminate this to the back side of shiny, dull or
pebble-finish lexan, whcih is then laminated to your aluminum plate,
assuming it is flat. You have to figure out some way of registering it
correctly to the dash panel, or else you can finish the panel with
holes and shaping after the lexan face is applied depending on your
cutting techniques.

If the panel is sculpted or formed in any way but flat, you will need
to break your design up into smaller pieces to accommodate the shape.

If you are doing more than say 50 or 100, you can get a similar job
done using offset printing or label printing for a far lower cost per
item.

Of course if the panel is flat and painted or powdercoated, you can
have a legend and some simple graphics screen printed for a very
reasonable cost, even if you are making two or three (you'll pay a
setup fee of $35 per color, though).

The first method described will allow you photographic-type image
reproduction like anything that would come out of your color printer,
and will be subject to fading if you don't use archival inks. The
screen print method will allow any number of colors used in a simpler
text-and-line-art design.

Hope this helps, write me if you need specifics. There are other
options, too, but I'd need to know more about what you are planning to
do.

Jim

On Oct 10, 2005, at 7:05 PM, Jeffrey Schwaia wrote:

> Can anyone out there point me to a company that does the printing on
> aluminum panels.  Basically, I'm looking for someone to put the labels
> on an
> aluminum dashboard for the switches and warning lights.  Any help is
> greatly
> appreciated.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jeff
>